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American Libraries Online | ALA News | Booklist Online
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Great Libraries of the World | Digital Library of the Week | Calendar

The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | November 21, 2012

AL Live

Recorded Books

AL Buyers Guide

American Libraries Online

ALA chapters issue joint statement on ebook pricing
A majority of ALA’s 57 state and regional chapters have signed a joint statement in opposition to the practices of publishers and distributors that have established unfair pricing in the sale of ebooks to libraries. So far, 39 ALA chapters have signed on to the statement, and Indiana Library Federation Executive Director Susan Akers expects that a few more will join in the next few weeks. The statement was designed as a way to express the collective grassroots concerns on ebook pricing that libraries and their patrons across the country share....
AL: Inside Scoop, Nov. 19

Meekins MarketOn My Mind: Creating a new tradition
Daria D’Arienzo writes: “Half a dozen tweens are crowded around several large tables stacked with odds and ends in the windows of the Meekins Library in the center of the small town of Williamsburg, Massachusetts. What are they doing? They are supporting their local library. Meekins Market, our small library’s holiday tag sale, is part of the newest recycling activity in our community.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

Library 2.012 logoThe Library 2.012 Conference
Laurie D. Borman writes: “The 40 continuous hours of Library 2.012, the Future of Libraries free conference, which ran October 3–5, featured 150 presentation sessions and more than a dozen keynote addresses from across the globe. Topics ranged from physical and virtual learning spaces to evolving professional roles in today’s world, organizing and creating information, changing delivery methods, user-centered access, and mobile and geosocial information environments.”...
American Libraries feature

AL Direct Wordle word cloudWhat’s the Wordle on AL Direct?
Here’s a Wordle word cloud based on open-ended responses to a question asking people what they like most about American Libraries Direct. Click here or on the graphic on the right to see a bigger image....
AL: Inside Scoop, Nov. 16

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AL Live

ALA News

Mirela RoncevicSue PolankaeContent Quarterly to launch in fall 2013
The new online journal eContent Quarterly will debut in Fall 2013. eContent Quarterly will be edited by Sue Polanka of the blog No Shelf Required and Mirela Roncevic, who developed and edits the online Library Grant Center. The online journal will offer practical, user-driven solutions and ideas for curating, developing, integrating, and managing content in rapidly changing digital library environments. Look for subscription information for eContent Quarterly in 2013....
ALA Editions, Nov. 20

“Going Virtual without Going Mad” webinar
Want to make it easier for your membership to get involved in national activities? Looking to understand ALA policies regarding what can and cannot be done virtually? Having trouble with your current virtual setup? Plan to attend this free, one-hour webinar on November 28. To register, send your email address and round table affiliation (if any) to Danielle Alderson....
Round Table Coordinating Assembly, Nov. 16

Are we really expected to read and understand all this?Copyright webinar for school librarians is full
The ALA Office for Information Technology Policy will host “Complete Copyright for K–12 Librarians and Educators,” a free interactive webinar on December 4. Copyright authority Carrie Russell will be the host. Registration is now closed, as the maximum number of participants have signed up. However, the full webinar will be recorded and posted to District Dispatch after the session is complete....
District Dispatch, Nov. 19

Deb HuntMaureen SullivanSullivan to address SLA Maryland Chapter in April
ALA President Maureen Sullivan will join Special Libraries Association President Deb Hunt to address the key issues facing professional library associations in a presentation titled “Strategic Liaisons: Game-Changing Conversations.” It will be held at an April 30 meeting of the SLA Maryland Chapter at the Marriott Hotel in Greenbelt. ALA members can attend at the SLA price. Sign up here....
SLA Maryland Chapter

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Booklist Online banner

Booklist Online logo

Cover of FaitheistFeatured review: Adult nonfiction
Stedman, Chris. Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious. Nov. 2012. 208p. Beacon, hardcover (978-0-8070-1439-4).
Current discussions about atheism seem to be defined as much by the caustic and confrontational manner of its proponents as by the actual examination of its characteristics. Enter Chris Stedman, avowed atheist, former Fundamentalist Christian, and current interfaith activist whose heartfelt and thought-provoking account of his struggle with God and religion serves as a call to arms for those seeking to bridge the gap between the religious and the secular. Stedman believes wholeheartedly in storytelling and its power to not only communicate values but also engender action. This book, then, is his attempt to use his own story to highlight the values of fellowship, equality, and “engaged religious diversity,” which he believes can bring about true social change....

Graphic for Top 10 religion and spirituality booksTop 10 religion and spirituality books
Ilene Cooper writes: “History (The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation), biography (Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet), politics (The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion), and even comedy (Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine) all find a place in this year’s top 10 religion and spirituality books.”...

@ Visit Booklist Online for other reviews and much more....

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Midwinter Meeting 2013

Seattle Update

Seattle Pinterest boardMidwinter Pinterest boards
For all Pinterest followers and avid pinners, Conference Services has started an account for the 2013 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. Follow us and pin your updates to our open boards. Check out current speakers, hot spots in Seattle, books to read on the plane, and Seattle scenery....
Conference Services, Nov. 19

Part of the fish ladder, Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle. Photo by Joe Mabel, used CC BY-SA 3.0The Ballard Locks
In Seattle, you can take a wonderful day trip to visit the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north. There is an educational visitor center on site, a fish ladder (right) for salmon viewing (although the time to view salmon spawning is in the summer), and the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden—one of the most beautiful park settings in Seattle, with trees and plants from all over the world. Take bus #17 to the locks, where you can watch boats rise and fall as they move through Puget Sound and the inland waterways....
My Ballard

A smoked chocolate hotcake from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery in BallardBest new restaurants in Seattle 2012
Seattle Magazine has named 12 restaurants as Seattle’s best dining venues for the year. Allison Austin Scheff writes: “As Seattle blooms into a world-class food town, our restaurants are getting quirkier, more specialized, and increasingly more expressive of the passion of the cooks who own and run them. Our list includes a dessert-only affair (Hot Cakes) and a takeout-only Thai place (Little Uncle). This year’s batch of Best New Restaurants adds new depth to our lively, layered restaurant scene.”...
Seattle Magazine, Nov.

AP story from 1989Seattleites drink more espresso than water
Seattle Times news librarian Gene Balk writes: “In 1989 a reporter for the Associated Press found something very strange going on in Seattle. Reporting back to an astonished America on this city’s booming café culture, he made an outlandish claim: ‘Some say Seattleites drink more espresso than water.’ A nation gasped. I crunched some market research data, and I have an answer: The reporter was right. Seattleites actually do prefer espresso to water—at least if you’re talking about bottled water.”...
Seattle Times: FYI Guy, Nov. 15

Lunchbox Laboratory shakes are considered #1 in SeattleSeattle’s top 10 milkshakes
Hanna Raskin writes: “Milkshakes are the only sweets consistently endorsed by doctors. A milkshake is the recommended post-tonsillectomy snack, and when orthodontists snap braces on their patients’ teeth, they suggest a milkshake diet to tide them over until their toothaches subside. But you don’t need a medical excuse to grab a spoon and straw. We present here 10 other good reasons to eat a milkshake.”...
Seattle Weekly, Nov. 19

Cover of Cooking with Fernet Branca, by James Hamilton-PatersonSeattle Public Library’s five favorite food books
David Wright writes: “Here at the Seattle Public Library, we help a lot of people find something good to read. So when the Seattle Weekly’s food blogger Hanna Raskin suggested we create a list based solely on your favorite food blog posts—a rich smorgasbord of homemade Girl Scout cookies, monster burgers, bacon, ramen, and grilled-cheese sandwiches—we said absolutely. But just to keep things interesting, we agreed not to include cookbooks.”...
Seattle Weekly, Sept. 26, 2011

Division News

Cover of 2012 School Libraries Count!Filtering in schools creates disconnected educators
According to the results of the 2012 School Libraries Count! longitudinal survey conducted by AASL, the filtering of legitimate, educational websites and academically useful social networking tools continues to be an issue in most schools across the country. While these schools report that overly restrictive filters negatively impact student learning, findings indicate educator curriculum development and collaboration activities are also impeded. Nonetheless, remote access to the school library has risen 7.6% in the past year and 23.7% since 2007. More data is available in the full report (PDF file)....
AASL, Nov. 16, 20

Beyond Words logoBeyond Words website offers disaster-recovery tips
School librarians and students can access linked resources to use while recovering from a natural disaster at the Beyond Words website, part of AASL’s Beyond Words grant funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Links include guides to facilities and funding, recovery and repair of damaged materials, and helping students cope and process their experiences....
AASL, Nov. 20

Susan BallardReport on teens’ digital research habits
AASL President Susan Ballard (right) is commending the November 1 report How Teens Do Research in the Digital World as a “must-read” because it conveys “the need for qualified school librarians to be at the forefront of collaborative instructional design, delivery, and assessment related to the development of effective student researchers.” The report shares findings on a survey of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers about their students’ research habits and the impact of technology....
AASL, Nov. 20; Pew Internet and American Life Project, Nov. 1

Genre: Friend or foe?
Join RUSA CODES Readers Advisory Research and Trends Committee for a three-day “CODES Conversation” on the subject of genre: what it means and how we use, or don’t use, the genre designation, and what genre means to you. This free, moderated, focused email discussion takes place December 4–6. Subscribe to the discussion, then follow and contribute....
RUSA Blog, Nov. 14

365 Days of YA calendar needs your program ideas
The newly formed 365 Days of YA Task Force needs tried and true ideas as it creates an online calendar full of teen service resources aimed at librarian generalists and paraprofessionals. YALSA is looking for ideas big and small on easy-to-implement programs, services, and activities. Email all your ideas to YALSA....
YALSA, Nov. 20

YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium
More than 500 librarians, educators, and authors came to the Hyatt Regency Saint Louis at the Arch on November 2–4 to celebrate teen reading at YALSA’s third Young Adult Literature Symposium. Attendees learned about social networking, dystopian literature, and how to stay current on trends. The next symposium is scheduled for October 31–November 2, 2014, in Austin, Texas....
YALSA, Nov. 19

Margaret HellerZach CobleTwo LITA members selected as Emerging Leaders
The LITA Board of Directors congratulates Zach Coble (systems and emerging technologies librarian at Gettysburg College) and Margaret Heller (web services librarian at Dominican University) on being selected for LITA sponsorship in the ALA 2013 Emerging Leaders Program. Sponsorship includes a $1,000 stipend to help offset the costs of attending the 2013 Midwinter Meeting and the 2013 Annual Conference....
LITA, Nov. 19

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Awards & Grants

ALA/AIA Library Building Awards competition
The call for entries for the 2013 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards (PDF file) is now available. The awards, managed by LLAMA and the American Institute of Architects, encourage excellence in the architectural design and planning of libraries and recognize accomplishments in library architecture. Any library building project designed by architects licensed in the United States is eligible for entry. The deadline for submission is January 11....
LLAMA, Nov. 16

LITA Library Hi Tech Award nominations
Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 LITA Library Hi Tech Award, given each year to an individual or institution for outstanding achievement in educating the profession about cutting-edge technology through communication in continuing education within the field of library and information technology. The award includes a citation of merit and a $1,000 stipend provided by Emerald Group Publishing Limited, publishers of Library Hi Tech. The deadline for nominations is December 17....
LITA, Nov. 15

Do you have a favorite intellectual freedom fighter?
The Public Library Association is now accepting nominations for the Gordon M. Conable Award for public libraries and intellectual freedom. Further details are available on the PLA website. Nominations are open until December 1....
Intellectual Freedom Round Table, Nov. 20

Nominations open for the Madison awards
The ALA Washington Office is calling for nominations for two awards to honor individuals or groups who have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know: the James Madison Award and the Eileen Cooke State and Local Madison Award. Nominations should be submitted to the ALA Washington Office no later than January 16....
District Dispatch, Nov. 16

Apply for a National Friends of Libraries Week award
United for Libraries will present two awards of $250 to Friends groups for activities held during National Friends of Libraries Week, October 21–27. Friends groups use the time to creatively promote their group in the community, raise library awareness, and promote membership. Applications are due by December 3....
United for Libraries, Nov. 19

The Big Read logoGrants for The Big Read
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. Managed by Arts Midwest, The Big Read provides competitive grants to support innovative reading programs in selected communities. Approximately 75 organizations in communities of varying sizes across the country will be selected to participate in The Big Read from September 2013 through June 2014. The application deadline is February 5....
National Endowment for the Arts

Cover of The Round House, by Louise Erdrich2012 National Book Awards
The National Book Foundation presented its 2012 National Book Awards in New York City on November 14, when accolades were given in each of four categories. The winners were Louise Erdrich, The Round House (fiction); Katherine Boo, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (nonfiction); David Ferry, Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations (poetry); and William Alexander, Goblin Secrets (YA literature). The winners each receive $10,000 and a bronze sculpture. Read reviews of the winning books in Booklist using this link....
Huffington Post, Nov. 14; Booklist Online: Likely Stories, Nov. 15

Cover of Science ExperimentsRoyal Society Young People’s Book Prize
Science Experiments by Robert Winston (Dorling Kindersley, 2011) was announced as the winner of the 2012 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize at a ceremony at the Royal Society in London on November 15. The £10,000 ($15,900 US) prize celebrates the best book that effectively communicates science to young people. The winner was chosen from a shortlist of six by more than 1,000 young people from 120 schools and youth groups around the UK....
Royal Society, Nov. 16

Cover of Winter King2012 Best First Biography Prize
The H. W. Fisher Best First Biography Prize for 2012 has been awarded to Thomas Penn for Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England (Penguin), a masterful and scholarly account of the reign of King Henry VII of England. The announcement was made November 13 at the Biographers’ Club Prize Dinner in London. The £5,000 ($7,950 US) prize is awarded to the best book by a first-time biographer....
Biographers’ Club, Nov. 14

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Libraries in the News

FBI raids business files at Detroit Public Library
FBI agents raided the Detroit Public Library system on November 20, removing financial records from an agency that has been beset by controversy. Nine agents arrived at the library’s main offices at 8 a.m., leaving three hours later with three cardboard boxes and what appeared to be computer equipment. According to Jonathan Kinloch, president of the Detroit Library Commission, the FBI is looking into contracts that involve two technology firms that were hired for at least $2 million to update the library’s computer systems. A library official allegedly had ties to at least one of the contractors, and benefited personally from the deals....
Detroit News, Nov. 20; Detroit Free Press, Nov. 21

New IMLS board members
In a November 15 ceremony at the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg administered the oath of office to eight new members of the National Museum and Library Services Board appointed by President Barack Obama. The board is the advisory body for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The new library members are Christie Pearson Brandau (School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University), Luis Herrera (city librarian of the San Francisco Public Library), and Suzanne E. Thorin (dean of libraries and university librarian at Syracuse University)....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Nov. 16

Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public LibraryTopeka library reaches out to parks and recreation
The Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library (right) has offered to replace the computers in the county’s eight community centers—a desperately needed upgrade considering that the current computers are fairly old. On November 15, the library board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the parks and recreation department. The library pledged to cover the costs of all the hardware and software, amounting to $45,602. The library also will hire a full-time technician, who will service the labs part time....
Topeka (Kans.) Capital-Journal, Nov. 18

Fire damage at San Juan High School, Blanding, Utah. Photo courtesy of Blanding Fire DepartmentArson fire damages San Juan High School library
The county sheriff said two men ignited a fire that destroyed the library at San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah, November 17 and caused about $1 million in damage. It took two hours for firefighters to extinguish the blaze. The police also suspect the pair, former San Juan students, of burglarizing the high school and Albert R. Lyman Middle School five times in the past three weeks. Watch the newscast (2:36)....
Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 17; KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, Nov. 17

Gladstone (Oreg.) Library's present facilityAfter voters nix new library, city council eyes privatizing
A week after Gladstone, Oregon, voters rejected a measure that would have allowed the city to build a new $10 million library, members of Save Gladstone, which rallied against the measure’s passage, want the city to explore outsourcing its library services to save money. The project was put on the ballot after voters in May passed two finance measures, crafted by Save Gladstone, that stalled the project....
Portland Oregonian, May 15, Nov. 6, 14

Screenshot of Gregory Maguire holding the earliest handwritten draft (February 1992) of a portion of WickedWicked papers go to University at Albany
The University at Albany (N.Y.) Libraries has acquired the papers of bestselling author Gregory Maguire (right), whose novel Wicked inspired the smash Broadway musical namesake. The collection, comprised of Maguire’s personal and professional papers, manuscripts, documents, diaries, and memorabilia, spans more than 50 years to date. Watch (1:25) Maguire discuss his creative process....
University at Albany, Nov. 20

SAD light at O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library. Photo by Gabrielle MartinsonUniversity library fights the SAD with circulating lamp
The O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been home to a Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lamp on a study table since 2011. However, Associate Director of Public Services Diane Knights came up with the idea of putting the lamp on reserve for students and faculty to check out this fall. The bright light of the lamp can improve the mood of individuals with winter-based SAD depression....
Tommie Media, Nov. 13

Maurice Lamontagne Institute Regional LibraryFisheries library merger draws fire in Canada
The merging of fisheries libraries in Nova Scotia and British Columbia is sparking some anger in the rest of Canada. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will close most of its nine libraries across the country and split their collections between just two—in Sidney, British Columbia, and at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The department is digitizing its collection, but that isn’t enough for Quebec New Democrat Guy Caron, who is losing the Maurice Lamontagne Institute Regional Library, a French-specific library in Mont-Joli....
Halifax (N.S.) Chronicle Herald, Nov. 19

Books in the Hiroshima City Manga LibraryPublic libraries are thriving in Japan
A report by the Japanese education ministry found that the number of books checked out by elementary school children from the 3,274 public libraries nationwide reached an average of 26 per child in fiscal 2010. That is up from 18.8 in 2007, a significant upswing to the highest level ever. Of course, this may be due to the economic downturn, the fact that libraries now allow more books to be checked out at a time, and the increased number of educational manga books for young readers....
Japan Times, Nov. 18

A classroom in one of READ Global's Nepalese librariesNepal: Changing lives one library at a time
Fyllis Hockman writes: “Antonia Neubauer, president of Myths and Mountains, first visited Nepal in 1983 and started her tour company five years later. During a trek to the Everest region in 1988, knowing she wanted to give something back to the country she had come to love, she asked her guide Domi Lama Sherpa, ‘What is it your village needs most?’ His reply: a library. She started fundraising. As a result, porters carried 900 books over a 12,000-foot pass into the remote village of Junbesi, and READ Global’s first community library opened in Domi’s hometown in 1991.”...
Consumer Traveler, Nov. 17

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Issues

Parents, teens, and online privacy
Most parents of teenagers are concerned about what their children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others. Some parents are taking steps to observe, discuss, and check up on their teens’ digital footprints, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. Among the results: 81% of parents of online teens say they are concerned about how much information advertisers can learn about their child’s online behavior....
Pew Internet and American Life Project, Nov. 20

Library Copyright Alliance files brief in support of Google
On November 16, the Library Copyright Alliance (whose members are ALA, ACRL, and the Association of Research Libraries) filed an amicus brief (PDF file) in Authors Guild v. Google in support the defendant and arguing that a recent decision on class certification should be reversed. The appeal is the latest development in long-running litigation over Google’s project to scan and index millions of books from research library collections....
ACRL Insider, Nov. 21

WIPO discusses treaty for visually challenged persons
On November 19–23 in Geneva, the World Intellectual Property Organization is hosting the 25th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. Visually impaired people face a “book famine” in which 95% of the books published in rich countries and 99% in poorer countries are never converted into accessible formats such as audio, large print, or Braille. The fastest way to address this famine is to install flexibility in copyright law, but copyright maximalists argue against any change....
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Nov. 19

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Tech Talk

Caroline Haebig, instructional technology coordinator, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IllinoisReflections of a first-year technology coordinator
Caroline Haebig (right) writes: “It’s official. I’ve moved into the realm of technology coordination. Despite being fresh in my new role as a high school instructional technology coordinator, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive some productive feedback. I’ve quickly learned some significant things when it comes to adult professional learning. One thing: Sometimes you don’t want an app for that.”...
District Dispatch, Nov. 21

SlideShark logoPresent slides on your iPad with no internet
Bohyun Kim and Nicholas Schiller write: “Librarians often use presentation slides to teach a class, run a workshop, or give a talk. More often than not, you may find only spotty internet signals. If you had planned on using your presentation slides stored in the cloud, no internet access would mean no slides. In this post, we show you how to save your presentation slides on your iPad so that you will be fully prepared to present without internet access. You will only need a few free tools.”...
ACRL TechConnect, Nov. 20

Fix Me Stick logoHow to get rid of a virus when your computer won’t boot
Whitson Gordon writes: “So you’ve contracted a virus that’s taken over your computer, and you can’t even boot up to try and troubleshoot the problem. The solution: Create a rescue CD, boot into a safe environment, and rid your PC of any nefarious software while it sleeps. Here’s how to do it with minimal effort.”...
Lifehacker, Nov. 20

The incredible persistence of email
Ron Miller writes: “The rise of enterprise social software and easy-to-use online collaboration tools were supposed to be the undoing of corporate email. Yet while we continue to hear stories about email killers, email still thrives and is even projected to grow in businesses. Why is it not at least fading as social and collaboration tool use increase? Let’s start with some hard numbers.”...
CITE World, Nov. 19

The WITCH in 1951World’s oldest digital computer is rebooted
Sebastian Anthony writes: “The world’s oldest, original, still-working digital computer has been unveiled at the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, the home of the UK’s World War II encryption and codebreaking efforts, where Alan Turing and others broke the German Enigma cipher. The computer, now called the WITCH, was originally powered up in 1951 (above). Now it’s on display at Bletchley, powered up and working its way through some original 1950s computer programs.” Watch the video (3:29)....
Extreme Tech, Nov. 20; BBC News, Nov. 19

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E-Content

OverDrive survey finds that library users buy ebooks
Fifty-seven percent of library users say that the public library is their primary source of book discovery, according to a survey (PDF file) released November 15 by ebook distributor OverDrive. The online poll, which focused on library ebook readers, found that the patrons surveyed purchased an average of 3.2 print and ebooks per month, and that the majority of respondents would consider purchasing books discovered on a library website. Christopher Harris analyzes the survey highlights....
District Dispatch, Nov. 15; Digital Library Blog, Nov. 15; AL: E-Content, Nov. 16

Penguin to expand ebook lending
The Penguin Group announced November 19 that it is expanding its ebook lending program to libraries in Los Angeles and Cleveland though a new distribution partner. In a pilot program that will begin this year, Penguin has worked with distributor Baker & Taylor to start ebook lending programs in the Los Angeles County Library System, which will reach four million people, and the Cuyahoga County system in Ohio....
New York Times: Media Decoder, Nov. 18

Min-maxing digital library lending
Christopher Harris writes: “Gamers have a term called ‘min-maxing’—minimizing the negative traits and maximizing the positives. Min-maxing turns games into serious business. With its new ebook program, Penguin is forcing libraries into a min-max position. The publisher has created a rule set that encourages libraries to enact behaviors that are negative to patrons. Consider this rule set.”...
AL: E-Content, Nov. 20

Ebooks at the Enoch Pratt Free LibraryBringing ebooks to Baltimore
Emily Sheketoff writes: “On November 14, I joined Enoch Pratt Free Library Director Carla Hayden and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake to help launch Baltimore’s efforts to bring ebooks and e-readers to all the branches of the Enoch Pratt Free Library System. Dr. Hayden was able to use a $350,000 gift from the Weinberg Foundation to purchase some e-readers and ebooks for the people of Baltimore to try.”...
District Dispatch, Nov. 16

Saint Augustine receiving the Truth (Veritas) through a book. Painting by Philippe de Champaigne, ca. 1645E-reading isn’t (exactly) reading
Andrew Piper writes: “Amid the seemingly endless debates today about the future of reading, there remains one salient, yet often overlooked fact: Reading isn’t only a matter of our brains; it’s something that we do with our bodies. How we hold our reading materials, how we look at them, navigate them, take notes on them, share them, play with them, even where we read them—these are the categories that have mattered most to us as readers.”...
Slate, Nov. 15

JSTOR offers free access for 100 Wikipedia editors
The Wikimedia Foundation is collaborating with JSTOR, a service of the nonprofit organization Ithaka, to provide 100 of the most active Wikipedia editors with free access to the complete archived collections on JSTOR, including more than 1,600 academic journals. The authors who will receive accounts have collectively written more than 100,000 Wikipedia articles to date. Access to JSTOR, one of the most popular sources on English Wikipedia, will allow these editors to further fill in the gaps in the sum of all human knowledge....
Wikimedia Foundation, Nov. 19

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2013 Midwinter Meeting logo

ALA Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 25–29. Caroline Kennedy, Steven Johnson, Peter Block, Rich Harwood, Peggy Holman, Smitty and LiLi, Make Magazine leaders, Terry Brooks, Ivan Doig, Greg Olsen, Ruth Ozeki—and many others, including thousands of library experts and expert librarians. Don’t miss a thing—stay in touch by joining the Facebook Event, by tracking the tag—#alamw13—and/or by using the Midwinter Meeting Scheduler.


Midwest Tape


Project MUSE


Simmons GSLIS


ALA Store logo

The ALA Store offers a wide variety of online Workshops, eCourses, and On-Demand Webinars to help library staff stay current in a rapidly changing industry. See what’s new in eLearning at the ALA Store. NEW! From ALA Publishing.

Solutions and Services

Great Libraries of the World

Sibbald Library, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Sibbald Library, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, UK. Established in 1682, the college library was the first in Scotland devoted to the study of medicine. The current home of the college was completed in 1848, and a new library, with its spectacular coffered ceiling, was built by architect David Bryce in 1876. It was restored in 1994, retains its original furnishings, and still houses part of the college’s fine collection of medical literature and historical documents.

Portico Library, Manchester

Portico Library and Gallery, Manchester, UK. This subscription library opened in 1806 as a combination library and newsroom. Primarily used by members and researchers, its exhibition gallery sits under an impressive Georgian glass-and-plaster dome.

This AL Direct feature showcases 250 libraries around the world that are notable for their exquisite architecture, historic collections, and innovative services. If you find yourself on vacation near one of them, be sure to stop by for a visit. Some will be featured in The Whole Library Handbook 5, edited by George M. Eberhart, which is scheduled for publication in 2013 by ALA Editions. There is also a Great Libraries of the World Pinterest board.

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Geology Librarian, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Olympia. As part of the Division of Geology and Earth Resources, the librarian provides for and oversees the management and effective delivery of advanced, large, complex, and mission-critical databases and applications by researching and overseeing the acquisition, installation, maintenance, documentation, security, upgrading, and troubleshooting of library applications and databases. The position will develop a seamless link between our digital databases and various division information databases, compiles and publishes TsuInfo Alert (bimonthly), and interacts closely with other section staff and the public....

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Digital Library of the Week

The "City of Memphis" is moored at the shore while cargo is loaded on board via a boom gangplank. ca. 1900, the Earl S. Miers River Photograph Collection

The Tennessee Virtual Archive is a project of the Tennessee State Library and Archives to digitize and make available online items from its physical collections. TeVA provides a searchable array of historical records, photographs, documents, maps, postcards, film, audio, and other original materials of enduring value. Collections include the Earl S. Miers River Photographs Collection, Civil War soldier photographs, postcards of Tennessee, the Ryman Auditorium building in Nashville, the Alvin C. York collection, Tennessee arts and crafts, and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Do you know of a digital library collection that we can mention in this AL Direct feature? Tell us about it. Browse previous Digital Libraries of the Week at the I Love Libraries site, Check out our Featured Digital Libraries Pinterest board.


Noted and Quoted

“Either we stop arguing and agree that libraries are doing their best to reinvent themselves and that with a bit of help (financial and ideological) they belong to the future, or we let them run down until they disappear. Who is going to pay for this new expanding network of libraries? Libraries cost about £1 billion to run right now. Make it £2 billion and charge Google, Amazon, and Starbucks all that back tax on their profits here.”

—Award-winning author Jeanette Winterson, speaking at the Inaugural Reading Lecture at the British Library, BBC News, Nov. 19.

“Day One: Spend valuable library instruction prep time searching Urban Dictionary for abbreviated NSFW words to craft provocative tweets. Due to inexperience, the tweets devolve into a miasma of confusing acronyms, resulting in my being elected ALCTS president.”

—Linda Absher, the Lipstick Librarian, in a post describing her attempts at hip librarian street cred, “The Tired Librarian,” Oct. 19, 2010.

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Calendar

Nov. 28:
Holdings Comparisons: Why Are They So Complicated?
free ALCTS webinar.

Jan. 10:
American Libraries Live,
“Landing Your Ideal Library Job.”

Jan. 15–17:
Digital Book World,
Annual Conference, Hilton Hotel, New York City. “Opportunity. Innovation. Success.”

Jan. 22–25:
Association for Library and Information Science Education, Annual Conference, Hyatt Hotel at Olive 8 and the Grand Hyatt Seattle. “Always the Beautiful Question: Inquiry Supporting Teaching, Research, and Professional Practice.”

Jan. 30–Feb. 2:
Ontario Library Association, Super Conference, Metro Toronto Convention Center. “Educate, Entertain, Empower.”

Feb. 2–5:
National Reading Recovery and K–6 Classroom Literacy Conference, Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center. Sponsored by the Reading Recovery Council of North America. “Creating a Literate Future Together.”

Feb. 6–9:
Special Libraries Association, Leadership Summit, Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown Hotel.

Feb. 8:
Online Northwest 2013, Conference, CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

Feb. 11–14:
Code4Lib, Annual Conference, University of Illinois at Chicago.

Feb. 14:
American Libraries Live, “Mobile Services: The Library in Your Pocket.”

Feb. 24–26:
National Federation of Advanced Information Services, Annual Conference, Hyatt at the Bellevue, Philadelphia. “In Search of Answers: Unlocking New Value from Content.”

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Books & Reading

This string of numbers indicates what printing of the book you haveA beginner’s guide to identifying first editions
Amanda Nelson writes: “What denotes a first edition can be complex and dependent on the whims of individual publishing houses. Each company does its first edition identification (if they do any at all) differently, so unless you’ve got a handy-dandy house-by-house guide, the concept can make you go a bit crosseyed. But there are a few basic rules that can be helpful. Keep in mind these are for the person who is new to analyzing what editions they have. I’m going to use some books from around my house to illustrate.” Don’t miss Part Two....
Book Riot, Nov. 8, 19; Quill & Brush

Guests at the celebration, from left: Marisabina Russo, author and illustrator; Deborah Pope, executive sirector of the Foundation and cohost; Floyd Cooper, author and illustrator; and Richard Peck, authorCelebrating 50 years of The Snowy Day
At an event hosted November 16 by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Society of Illustrators, noted children’s book publishers, authors, illustrators, and educators came together to celebrate the power of children’s literature and the 50th anniversary of Ezra Jack Keats’s Caldecott Medal–winning book, The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962). Some 75 guests attended the celebration, held at the society’s offices at 128 E. 63rd Street in New York City....
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Nov. 20

Cover of My Friend Dahmer, a genre-blurring graphic novel and biography by Derf BackderfBlurring the genres
Molly Wetta writes: “While there is some debate about the actual number, most people agree: There are only so many kinds of stories, just different ways of telling them. Same with genres: There is a finite number. That is, until you start mixing them up. Then the possibilities are endless. At YALSA’s 2012 Young Adult Literature Symposium, Teri Lesesne and Rosemary Chance shared some recent young adult novels that transcend traditional genres.”...
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 16

Teen fans Alex Cline and Michael KahanFan fiction and YA lit
Diane Colson writes: “At YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium, a panel of experts spoke on the various aspects of fan fiction. For a newbie like me, there’s a lot to learn. But more importantly, there is a lot to get excited about, realizing all the venues for creativity that are flourishing throughout the online community. For a look at the action, check out fanfiction.net, one of the larger sites connecting hundreds of fandoms.” The panel featured interviews with two teen fans, Alex Cline and Michael Kahan (above), who offered their views (9:23) on fandom....
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 15

Cover of Sweetblood, by Pete Hautman, re-released in 2010Diabetics in YA fiction
Carla Land writes: “November is National Diabetes Month and, as someone who is a Type I diabetic, I cannot find myself in many literary characters. In 2004 I created a list of books for kids who had been recently diagnosed with diabetes, and I am saddened to see that there are no new teen titles to be found since that time, except for some re-releases. Here are the titles from my findings that made it through my criteria for this list: They have diabetic characters, are available to purchase, and should appeal to teens.”...
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 21

Cover of Silent Star: The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William Hoy, by Bill WiseDisability in children’s books, part two
Renee Grassi writes: “In my library community, I’ve noticed recently that there has been an increased demand for books like Wonder by R. J. Palacio and Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper that focus on the topic of disability. So, I always try to have my ear to the ground when new books are published with characters that have special needs. Here are some noteworthy recently published fiction and nonfiction books that depict the disability experience in a positive light.”...
ALSC Blog, Nov. 20

Cover of Balls, by Julian Tepper11 amazing writers you haven’t heard of yet
Emily Temple writes: “Love The New Yorker but looking for something a little cooler, a little more youthful? Want thick, twisty fiction and high-brow commentary with an edge? Enter The American Reader, our new favorite journal of fiction, poetry, and literary criticism, which launched this fall both in print and online. We highly recommend you check it out, and if you need a little incentive, Editor-in-Chief Uzoamaka Maduka and the other editors on her staff have picked a few of their favorite upcoming writers.”...
Flavorwire, Nov. 20

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Tips & Ideas

John James Audubon's painting of a wild turkeyUniversity of Chicago Library offers turkey facts
In celebration of Thanksgiving, the University of Chicago Library has created this research guide to provide a lighthearted yet informative look at some of the many resources available about turkeys: turkeys in American history, turkey cooking, turkeys in the news, turkeys around the world, turkey films, the turkey trot, and turkey-inspired sports....
University of Chicago Library, Nov. 20

Sharing Tweets just got easier
Stefan Filip writes: “We’re introducing the ability to email a Tweet directly from twitter.com—a feature that will be rolling out to everyone over the coming weeks. You can email a Tweet to anyone, whether they use Twitter or not, right from your Twitter stream or from the details view of any Tweet. Just click on the More icon next to the reply, retweet, and favorite buttons in order to email a Tweet to anyone you know.”...
Twitter Blog, Nov. 15

Facebook questionTaking a stab at Facebook Page ROI
David Lee King writes: “Recently, both the CEO and the marketing director at my library asked about the ROI of paying for Facebook Page ads. They asked because we recently ran two months’ worth of a Facebook ad, and wanted to know what the ad actually accomplished. There are two ways to look at ROI in this case. There’s the simple ‘Did it work?’ ROI, and there’s the ‘What’s really going on here?’ way to look at it. Let’s look at both.”...
David Lee King, Nov. 20

Tulane University Library in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Photo courtesy of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane UniversityWhat Katrina can teach libraries about Sandy and other disasters
Jennifer Howard writes: “Disaster plans used to seem like ‘kind of a bother’ to Lance D. Query, Tulane University’s director of libraries. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, flooding Tulane’s Howard-Tilton Memorial Library with more than eight feet of water. ‘I look at them much more carefully now,’ said Query. He has some hard-won advice and words of encouragement for libraries trying to recover from Sandy or other disasters, and for those reviewing their disaster-response plans.”...
Chronicle of Higher Education: Wired Campus, Nov. 14

Some of the 2011 state winners, Letters about LiteratureLetters about Literature contest
Young readers in grades 4–10 are invited to write a personal letter to an author for Letters about Literature, a national reading and writing promotion program sponsored by LC’s Center for the Book. The letter can be to any author (living or dead) from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic—explaining how that author’s work changed the student’s view of the world. Teachers and librarians can download free teaching materials. Submissions must be postmarked January 11....
Center for the Book in the Library of Congress

Library Science logo, by Osum Library LabsExplaining the science of library science
Julia Feerar writes: “We need to get better at explaining ourselves. Topher Lawton offers great advice on fielding some common questions and misconceptions here. I’d like to build on his ideas with a particular focus on the term ‘library science.’ Of all the questions I’ve received from friends, family, and acquaintances, I’ve noticed the most confusion surrounding the ‘science’ aspect: ‘So you’re studying library science . . . what is that exactly?’ Here are the strategies I have found useful for explaining library science.”...
Hack Library School, Aug. 24, Nov. 19

Plot your career path
Ned Potter writes: “As a new professional in the information industry, you’re better off with a plan of where you want to be, and specifically how you want to get there. The profession is so competitive now. If you can come up with a plan of how you’ll move through it, then it’s worth doing so, even with the knowledge that it’s perfectly okay not to stick to it if something interesting comes up.”...
thewikiman, Nov. 15

Section of revised Arabic romanization tableRevised Arabic romanization table approved
The ALA-LC Romanization tables are developed jointly by the Library of Congress and ALA. Romanization schemes enable the cataloging of foreign language materials. The ALCTS Committee on Cataloging: Asian and African Materials recently received and reviewed a proposal to revise the Arabic romanization table, and the table has subsequently been approved (PDF file)....
Catalogablog, Nov. 16

Screenshot from video, showing photo processesA brief history of photographic processes
Michael Zhang writes: “Photography isn’t even 200 years old, but there have already been more than 150 different chemical processes developed over its relatively short lifetime. In this interesting video, A Brief History of Photography: Innovations in Chemistry (4:57), photo conservation scientist Art Kaplan of the Getty Conservation Institute quickly introduces some of the groundbreaking processes that have made a significant impact on the history of photography—processes such as the daguerreotype, ambrotype, and tintype.”...
PetaPixel, Nov. 14; YouTube, Nov. 14

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